Occupy Santa Barbara

Yes, there really is an Occupy Wall Street spin off called Occupy Santa Barbara.  They have a 'live feed' where you can watch them run through parliamentary procedure here, along with following the occasional protest. This appears to me to be a disorganized group of 30 or 40 mostly students and unemployed, with the occasional police informant thrown in for good measure.  Its no less absurd than what is going on in other places in the country, like the anti-war protesters at the Air & Space.  Alexadra Petri sums up the movement:

Like the Tea Party, the Occupants feel disserved by the status quo, but they seem to feel that the government should do more, not less. These are people who did what they were supposed to do — followed their dreams, pursued advanced degrees — and now feel that the system misled them. They have a voice. They even have a Tumblr. Now all they need is a plan.

What about Occupy Santa Barbara?  They are protesting invading our politics!.

"I'm here to, uh, show support for people protesting Wall Street and capital greed and invading our politics." 

A sample of the rabble appears in this YouTube video.  A few sound bytes from the erudite wihin:  "I'm here to, uh, show support for people protesting Wall Street and capital greed and invading our politics." Thanks Mr. Max Dornfest at 0:13. Then listen to George Jefferson (I cannot make these names up) at 3:42: "The financial aid offices of the UC's and the CalStates don't acknowledge that um... marginalized wealth isn't the same as Main street white wealth." Translation? George wants white people to pay for his school. Or something like that.

"... um... marginalized wealth isn't the same as Main Street white wealth."

But my favorite is Ms. Sophie Arnem who relates that: "The way that we see Wall Street manifested in our daily lives is through the privatization of our education." Huh? Then she goes on about how tuition is going up-up-up and it means that "you are f---ing paying $12,000 for something that in the 1960's was promised as a free system." Sophia Arnem with the potty mouth at 4:28. Later I found out first hand about the vulgarities that can be hurled by the protesters.

For the record, the UC system was never promised to anyone as 'free'.  Except, to the illegal immigrants here by the recently passed California Dream Act. Doh!


Get A Job!

On Saturday, I'm in Santa Barbara for a little shopping on State Street, which is a pleasant palm-tree lined area in downtown Santa Barbara with Spanish mission-style architecture and bistro's.  I just exit a store and here come about 100 people with signs and banners -- and a huge police escort.  It's the Occupy Santa Barbara mob, chanting something about "Tax the Rich, we are the 99%" "Banks got Bailed Out - We got Sold Out."  

As the passed by I realized how well "Get a Job!" fit in with their movement so I started yelling out "Get a Job" walking beside the group, from the sidewalk.  There were really only a few shoppers out, but they laughed at my antics.  

GET A JOB!

GET A JOB!

Pumping my fist in the air seemed like a good idea too.

GET A JOB!

GET A JOB!

In the face of my one-man opposition,  they stopped chanting!  I thought they would chant louder to drown me out, but they didn't, a few hurled insults at me from the safety of the police escort.  Then one  came over to harass me with peace signs and hearts. But also to berate me in a foul mouthed manner that only I could hear, and let me tell you baby, she was open for business, I call her Sailor Hippie.  

I just kept on chanting GET A JOB for an entire city block, and Ms. Sailor Hippie kept getting in my face with four-letter words and insults.  When Ms. PeaceSign Sailor Hippie finally paused for breath I put my hands on my hips in my most non-threatening posture and asked "Ok -- lets get this out of the way.  How much of my salary do you think you are entitled to?"  At that, point she re-joined her 99 homeless friends.

So who are they, and what are they protesting anyway?  Economic Equality, Social Justice.  Whatever that is.  They seem to be saying that Wall street shouldn't have gotten corporate welfare.  Check, agreed and that rich people should give up their money to pay for their school.   Uh... not so fast.  This mob movement has no real quarrel with anything but the current administration -- their aggression and anger is misplaced.  You can't tell them that though... but this works:

GET A JOB!